glazed marbled cartons

 

My marbled cartons were sprayed with the airbrush in chun clear glaze so they have super even coverage, and these are the results. Glazing then firing them again brought out the coloured slip which contrasts strongly with the white clay and I think it has successfully created the oil-spill image that I had in mind. The way the black swirls through the body of the piece gives an impression of pollution and disease taking over - the drinks carton is no longer appealing as something to consume, the exterior implies that the 'contents' are also spoiled. This could be a comment on how packaging can be deceptive or untruthful, hiding the realities of the industry; greenwashing is a particular issue in this way because  brands like to push the idea that they are being sustainable by stating the obvious facts such as the cardboard being recyclable (as if they deserve a medal for this) while they are still doing other harmful things to the environment such as shipping the products wrapped in plastic, having hugely polluting factories or using harmful chemicals etc., so

 the branding and packaging design become a distraction from the truth. I think our buying habits would change if the packaging on products showed these realities.

I also experimented with turquoise blue slip. I  think this variant is easier on the eye and has a more tranquil feel, like a blue sky with wispy clouds. The swirling lines are organic and remind me of where my project started, at the seaside collecting plastic and sand with the idea of looking at the hidden microscopic world of the ocean. I don't mind that my project has developed in a different direction but I still like to refer back to my original idea that lead me to this point.

These two are dipped in green and turquoise glaze since my colour palette is cold, hinting at stones and water. I think this glazing style looks traditional and has a more ornamental vibe, so I think they could be very marketable. 

These final images are a carton that broke on its way out of the mold but I wanted to make use of it anyway. I poured blue glaze into it and allowed it to drip out of  the holes, implying bleeding or tears. I like that you can see the colour inside where it wouldn't normally be visible, and there's something poignant about the way it bleeds out like its been hurt - I think that even though it wasn't meant to be part of the final collection of cartons it still carries my message about the damage being done to the other by our over-consumption of the Earths resources. I took a photo looking inside the carton from underneath and it has a strange architectural feel to the structure, but the way the light coming through the round hole reflects against the glaze looks like the sun setting on the sea which is an accidental but cool effect.

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